Re: Nationwide Composting Network?

Sun Jul 19, 2015 2:32 am

Never heard of any such thing. If there were any "public composting piles" such as municipal composting of yard wastes, they likely would not be in favor of humanure being added, since it takes special precautions.

Many state parks and campgrounds have outhouse type toilets. Composting toilet waste can be added there.

Re: Nationwide Composting Network?

Sun Jul 19, 2015 4:41 pm

Well, Natures Head is very popular with a lot of Tiny Houser's

this woman doesn't move her home all that often, but the couple who own this channel have been traveling the country side in their tiny house and have the same composting toilet... I think they're just dumping it at private campgrounds, but I just had the thought that it would be kinda awesome if private individuals who had their own compost piles had it open for others to deposit (build up this massive garden through the neighborhoods waste lol).

Re: Nationwide Composting Network?

Sun Jul 19, 2015 6:19 pm

I have two compost piles, and I really don't want to open them to the public!What about pharmaceutical residue? Many folks are on some sort of medication that leaves a residue in their "manure". Wouldn't that have an effect on the compost?I'd rather stick to yard waste and chicken manure in my piles.

Re: Nationwide Composting Network?

Tue Jul 21, 2015 3:45 pm

I think you're right Jacob, such a network just hasn't developed yet. But years ago there probably weren't campgrounds with RV dump stations either, so who knows. When humans get desperate enough to cut our waste disposal costs and desperate enough for cheaper nutrients than the mined stuff we put on most farmlands, maybe such things will develop.

The topic of pharmaceutical residues is complicated, and it's going to take a lot of research to find out whether there is any significant risk. I can tell you that pharm. manufacturers are required to do certain studies to determine biodegradability and fate of drugs. Of course we know they don't disappear completely. I rather suspect (as an environmental chemist) that the effect is negligible for several reasons: 1) the small doses (milligrams) of most drugs, 2) the fact that medications are generally not toxic to humans in the first place suggests they will not be toxic to soil life in tiny amounts nor to humans gardening in soil amended with the compost, and 3) all the dilution and biodegradation that occurs in the compost pile and the soil. Science will eventually prove it one way or the other.

We could certainly use the stuff on forests, sod farms, damaged or sterile soil in need of remediation, all kinds of places.